Sea Guidelines PDF
Sea Guidelines PDF
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
September 2004
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page No.
FOREWORD. . . . . . . . 3
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . 4
Creative Writing . . . . . . . . 5
Mathematics . . . . . . . . 6
Language Arts . . . . . . . . 7
TABLE OF SPECIFICATIONS
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FOREWORD
As we strive to address quality in our education system and prepare students for participation in
the global context, the transition from primary to secondary school is an important stage in the
education of our students. It is critical that students acquire the necessary knowledge and skills at
the primary level to fully benefit from the opportunities available at the secondary level.
Transition from primary to secondary school is facilitated through the Secondary Entrance
Assessment (SEA) in Mathematics, Language Arts and Creative Writing. The SEA 2005-2006
Guidelines in this document are intended to assist teachers and all those involved in the
preparation of students for secondary school. A number of changes to the specifications has been
made to improve the validity and reliability of the SEA. It is anticipated that the specifications
for each paper together with details of the changes made will allow teachers to better assist
emphasising the development of higher order skills, it is hoped that our students will be better
------------------------------------------
Yvonne Lewis
Director
Division of Educational Research and Evaluation
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SECONDARY ENTRANCE ASSESSMENT (SEA), 2005-2006
INTRODUCTION
The Ministry of Education is pleased to present to teachers the Secondary Entrance Assessment
(SEA) Guidelines 2005-2006 booklet.
The SEA is a mechanism that facilitates placement of students in secondary schools in Trinidad
and Tobago. In an attempt to improve the reliability and validity of the assessment, and fairness
in the placement process, a number of changes have been made. Details of the SEA along with
the changes are provided below.
The Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) comprises three papers that must be attempted by all
candidates.
1. Creative Writing
2. Mathematics
3. Language Arts
The schedule of the working time, the total time for the administration of the assessment and the
number of items in each test are shown in the Table 1. The working time for each paper remains
the same - 40 minutes for Creative Writing, 75 minutes for Language Arts and 75 minutes for
Mathematics.
The total time for the administration of the assessment is approximately 4 hours 30 minutes,
while the actual working time for the candidates is 3 hours 10 minutes.
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Table 1: Working Time, Total Administration Time and Number of Items for the Three
Papers in SEA
The papers in SEA will contain open-ended items for which students are required to construct
their responses, rather than select them from a number of alternatives. Open-ended items can
elicit different correct responses from students, but the emphasis is on revealing students
thinking.
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CREATIVE WRITING
To address the concerns about the equivalence of students attempting either essays or letters, and
scoring both using the same scoring guide, three (3) topics on either essays or letters will be
randomly assessed in any year. The teaching of both essays and letters is therefore necessary to
The Creative Writing Paper will also be marked out of a score of ten (10) by each of two markers
to give a combined raw score of 20 instead of twelve (12) as previously obtained. This will
In Creative Writing, it must be emphasized that students use the writing process to develop their
writing skills. While holistic marking will be used to assess students for SEA, the analytic
method of marking should be used in the classroom as it focuses on the marking of specific
skills.
MATHEMATICS
The number of items in the Mathematics Paper has been reduced from 50 to 46. The paper will
still contain three sections, with 20 questions in Section I, 20 questions in Section II, and 6
questions in Section III. Questions in Section I will be worth 1 mark each as before; questions in
Section II will be worth, two (2) or three (3) marks each and questions in Section III, five (5)
marks each. This change will eliminate the summary classification of items as algorithmic
thinking or problem solving in any question or section. All skills - knowledge, computation,
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algorithmic thinking and problem solving will now be tested in each of the three sections of the
In Mathematics, students should be encouraged to show working as far as possible. Marks will
LANGUAGE ARTS
The specifications for the Language Arts paper have been retained, as this is consistent with the
emphasis and skills required in the curriculum. The Language Arts (grammar, punctuation&
spelling - 60% and comprehension & graphic representation - 40%) will continue to be marked
out of 100.
Students are required to show their knowledge of the mechanics of language in the grammar,
vocabulary, spelling and punctuation items. For comprehension, students are required to
demonstrate their ability to read carefully, extract the main ideas, make inferences and look for
supporting details from the passages. They are also required to express their responses in
complete sentences.
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The weight of the Mathematics: Language Arts: Creative Writing has been changed from 1: 1: 1
to 5: 3: 2. This change has been made to reflect the instructional emphasis in the curriculum,
Students scores in each paper will be converted to standard scores and weighted as shown in
Table 2. The weighted scores will then be combined and the combined score (Composite score)
Standard scores utilise the variance in each paper and therefore allows the students relative
standing (position) in each paper to be maintained when they are combined, thus ensuring
Placement in secondary schools will continue to be on the basis of merit, choice of schools and
gender. Only when students choices of schools have been exhausted, will attempts be made to
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SECONDARY ENTRANCE ASSESSMENT
The tables of specifications indicate the structure of the papers, that is, the number of items that
test the specified content areas and the level of skill assessed in the items.
The assessment objectives cover the content for Standards 3 to 5 as specified in the Primary
MATHEMATICS
The Mathematics Paper consists of (46) items and encompasses the four strands of the syllabus.
Number
Geometry
Statistics
The paper is divided into three sections with 20 questions in Section I, 20 questions in Section
Questions in Section I are worth one (1) mark each; questions in section II are worth two (2) or
three (3) marks each and questions in Section III are worth five (5) marks each (Table 1 & 2).
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TABLE OF SPECIFICATIONS MATHEMATICS
II 20 12 26 12 50
III 6 8 14 8 30
46 25 50 25 100
Measurement 16 7 18 10 35
and Money (7 items) (7 items) (2 items) (16 items)
Geometry 8 3 10 5 18
(3 items) (4 items) (1 item) (8 items)
Statistics 4 2 2 5 9
(2 items) (1 item) (1 item) (4 items)
Total 46 20 50 30 100
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ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVES - MATHEMATICS
A. NUMBER
Whole Numbers
Fractions
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21. Multiply two fractions (including whole/mixed numbers).
22. Divide two fractions (including whole/mixed numbers).
23. Solve word problems involving concepts and operations on fractions.
Decimals
24. State the value or place value of any digit in a decimal fraction up to hundredths
(decimal fractions refer to fractions written in decimal notation).
25. Express decimal fractions using expanded notation.
26. Order and compare decimal fractions.
27. Add decimal fractions (including whole numbers).
28. Subtract two decimal fractions.
29. Multiply two decimal fractions.
30. Divide two decimal fractions.
31. Solve word problems involving measures expressed in decimals.
32. Express decimal fraction, as common fractions and vice versa.
Percent
36. Calculate the percent of a quantity.
37. Express a percent as a fraction and a fraction as a percent.
38. Express a percent as a decimal and a decimal as a percent.
39. Express one quantity as a percent of another.
40. Calculate the whole (or part) given a part expressed as a percent.
41. Solve one - step and multi - step problems involving percentages.
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B. MEASUREMENT
Money
42. Identify coins, bills, their value and the value of a set of coins/bills.
43. Determine the possible combinations of coins/bills, which are equal to given amounts.
44. Add and subtract quantities expressed in dollars and cents.
45. Calculate total cost and the change in money transactions.
46. Solve problems involving payments (for example salaries) and charges (for example
rentals), given a unit rate.
47. Calculate profit or loss given cost price and selling price.
48. Express profit or loss percent as a percentage of the cost price.
49. Calculate the VAT on an item when given as a percent.
50. Calculate the discount on an item when given as a percent.
51. Calculate the simple interest and amount of an investment or loan given principal, rate
and time.
52. Solve problems involving direct proportions.
53. Determine the best buy comparing rates.
Linear Measure
54. Name an appropriate standard metric unit for measuring the length of an object.
55. Convert units of length within the metric system.
56. Compare two lengths.
57. Measure lengths of lines using standard or non-standard units.
58. Read and record linear measures using decimal notation.
59. Estimate the length of an object to the nearest centimeter.
60. Solve problems involving addition and subtraction of measures in (a) metres and
centimetres (b) kilometres and metres.
61. (a) Calculate the perimeter of polygons.
(b) Calculate unknown sides of polygons given the perimeter.
62. State the relationship between the circumference and diameter (or radius) of a circle.
63. Solve problems involving perimeter of polygons and circumference of circles.
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Area
64. Name an appropriate standard metric unit for measuring the area of a region.
65. Compare the area of surfaces.
66. Measure the area of a region using square units and record measures to the nearest unit.
67. Estimate the area of a region to the nearest square unit.
(a) Calculate the area of squares, rectangles, and triangles using formulae.
(b) Calculate the total area of a compound shape.
(c) Calculate an unknown side of a square or rectangle given its area.
68. Solve problems involving area of plane shapes.
69. Solve problems involving area and perimeter of plane shapes.
70. Solve problems involving area and money, for example, the cost of tiling.
Volume
71. Name an appropriate standard metric unit for measuring capacity or volume of a given
container/solid.
72. Compare the sizes of containers.
73. Measure the capacity of containers in standard and non-standard units.
74. Measure the volume of a solid by counting cubic units.
75. (a) Calculate the volume of cubes and cuboids using the formulae.
(b) Calculate unknown sides of cubes or cuboids given the volume.
76. State the relationship between the metric units of volume and capacity.
77. Solve problems involving volume/capacity.
Mass
78. Name an appropriate standard metric unit for measuring the mass of a given object.
79. State the relationship between the gram and the kilogram.
80. Compare the masses of objects.
81. Measure the mass of an object using appropriate metric units.
82. Read measuring scales and record masses using decimal notation.
83. Make reasonable estimates of the mass of objects in the environment in kilograms.
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84. Add and subtract measures in kilograms and grams.
85. Solve problems involving mass and money, mass and volume.
Time
86. State the various units for measuring time and the relationship between these units.
87. Tell time using analog and digital notation.
88. Convert analog notation to digital notation and vice versa.
89. Solve problems involving calculation of total time and elapsed time in hours and minutes.
90. Solve problems involving time using both digital and analog notations.
91. Solve problems involving time and rate.
C. GEOMETRY
Solids and Plane Shapes
92. Identify solids from drawings.
93. Describe the properties of solids with respect to the number of vertices and the number and type
of edges and faces.
94. Draw solids given models or descriptions.
95. Name a solid given its net.
96. Draw nets of cubes, cuboids, cylinders, triangular prisms, pyramids and cones.
97. Identify plane shapes from drawings.
98. Describe the properties of plane shapes with respect to
(a) the number of sides and angles
(b) the number of equal sides, and
(c) the number of pairs of parallel sides.
100. Describe the properties of isosceles, equilateral and right-angled triangles.
101. Construct a plane shape given specific properties.
102. Describe a plane shape as a composition of other plane shapes.
Symmetry
103. Identify and draw lines of symmetry in plane shapes, including shapes with curved edges.
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104. Complete a plane shape using the property of line symmetry.
105. Determine the number of lines of symmetry in plane shapes.
Angles
112. . Use 'larger', 'smaller' and 'same' to compare the size of two angles.
113. Arrange a set of angles in order of size.
114. Explain what is an angle.
115. Represent angles using drawings.
116. Measure angles using standard and non-standard units.
117. Identify the degree as the unit for measuring angles.
118. Solve problems using a whole turn (360).
119. Solve problems involving simple fractions of a whole turn.
120. Estimate the size of an angle given a unit.
121. Compare angles using 90 as a benchmark.
122. Identify angles in shapes and solids in the environment.
D. STATISTICS
123. Interpret data presented in simple frequency tables or tally charts.
124. Construct tally charts and simple frequency tables from raw data.
125. Interpret pictographs, block graphs, bar graphs and pie charts.
126. Construct pictographs, block graphs and bar graphs from given data.
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127. Calculate the mode and the mean from a set of raw scores.
128. Determine the mode and the mean from data presented in frequency tables, bar graphs or
block graphs.
129. Solve problems involving the mean.
130. Summarize data presented in tables or graphs.
131. Solve problems involving interpretation of the data in tables and graphs.
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CREATIVE WRITING PAPER
Specifications
Students answers will be scored out of ten (10) marks by two markers and the scores combined
Assessment Objectives
Students will:
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ESSAY - MARK SCHEME
SCORE CRITERIA
9 - 10 An outstanding response
- effective organization
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- some attempt at organization
intrusive)
- the ideas are conveyed but they are either not well developed or
loosely organized
2 A poor response
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LETTER - MARK SCHEME
SCORE CRITERIA
9 - 10 An outstanding response
- effective organization
- good organization
- fluent writing
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SCORE CRITERIA
intrusive)
- the ideas are conveyed but they are either not well developed or
loosely organized
2 A poor response
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- ideas are confusing and undeveloped
communicate in English
- writing is incomprehensible
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LANGUAGE ARTS
The Language Arts paper consists of 50 items and assesses the five (5) areas in the
Language Arts syllabus (1999).
Grammar
Vocabulary/Spelling
Punctuation
Reading Comprehension
- factual/expository passage
- descriptive passage/narrative passage or poem
Graphic Representation
The Language Arts Paper will be scored out of a total of 100. Items in section I and II (grammar,
vocabulary/ spelling and punctuation) will be worth 60 marks, while comprehension and graphic
representation, will be worth 40 marks.
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Strands Skill Level by Items Total
Know. Comp. Appl. Anal. Syn. Eval.
Grammar 6 4 9 - 3 - 22
Vocabulary/Spelling 6 2 - - - - 8
Punctuation - - 5 - - - 5
Comprehension 2 1 - 1 1 5
I. Factual/Expository passage
1 1 - 2 - 1 5
II. Poem/Narrative/Descriptive
passage
Graphic Representation 1 1 - 2 - 1 5
Total 16 9 14 5 3 3 50
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Know.- Knowledge Comp.- Comprehension Appl. - Application
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Anal. - Analysis Syn. - Synthesis Eval -Evaluation
ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVES LANGUAGE ARTS
Grammar
1. Identify proper, common, collective and abstract nouns in context.
2. Use proper, common, collective and abstract nouns in context.
3. Identify gender of nouns.
4. Use singular and plural nouns in sentences.
5. Use plural and possessive forms of nouns.
6. Identify nouns as adjectives.
7. Use nouns as adjectives.
8. Use personal and relative pronouns.
9. Use self as emphatic and reflexive pronoun.
10. Use pronouns to replace nouns according to function.
- reflexive, possessive, relative, interrogative,
demonstrative, indefinite.
11. Identify various types/classes of adjectives.
12. Identify adjectives placed before a noun or pronoun.
13. Use adjectives before a noun or pronoun.
14. Identify adjectives which follow a verb.
15. Use adjectives which follow a verb.
16. Use verbs to denote action, condition or state of being.
17. Use verbal forms (regular and irregular) in sentences.
Tenses - simple present, past and future.
- perfect.
- continuous or progressive.
Participles - present and past.
Infinitives
Linking verbs
Modal verbs
Transitive and intransitive verbs
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Active and passive voice
18. Show subject verb agreement.
19. Form regular and irregular adverbs and adjectives in the comparative and superlative
degrees.
20. Use regular and irregular adverbs and adjectives in the comparative and superlative
degrees.
21. Identify adverbs in different positions in a sentence.
22. Use adverbs in different positions in a sentence.
23. Use negative forms
- no before the noun
- not after the auxiliary verb
- forms of to do + not with simple present;
- simple past and future.
24. Use the sequence of tenses.
25. Identify prepositions.
26. Use prepositions/prepositional phrase in context.
27. Use prepositions/prepositional phrase with appropriate verbs.
28. Use prepositions/prepositional phrase in expansion of simple sentences.
29. Identify interjections in sentences and passages.
30. Identify contractions and expanded forms.
31. Use contractions and expanded forms.
32. Identify sentences, clauses and phrases.
33. Identify coordinating conjunctions.
34. Use conjunctions to join words, phrases and sentences.
35. Use conjunctions which join subordinating clauses to main clause.
36. Combine multiple sentences into a single sentence.
37. Construct simple, compound and complex sentences.
38. Arrange sentences in correct order.
39. Change direct to reported speech and vice versa.
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Vocabulary/Spelling
40. Arrange words in categories.
41. Select words for different categories.
42. Use words in context to show different meanings.
43. Determine the contextual meaning of words and phrases.
44. Build words from root word by adding a suffix or prefix.
45. Use words formed by adding suffixes and prefixes.
46. Change suffixes to form new words.
47. Change adjectives nouns and verbs by adding suffixes.
48. Form adjectives, nouns and verbs from given words.
49. Form compound words.
50. Use homonyms, homographs and homophones.
51. Give the meaning of homonyms, homographs and homophones in context.
52. Substitute identified words with meaningful synonyms and antonyms.
53. Discover and correct commonly mis-spelt words. e.g. separate, business.
Punctuation
54. Use capital letters correctly.
55. Use appropriate end punctuation marks.
56. Use appropriate punctuation marks to indicate direct speech.
57. Use commas in different contexts.
58. Use the apostrophe correctly.
Comprehension
I. Factual/Expository Passage.
II. Poem/Narrative Descriptive Passage.
59. State events in a sequential order.
60. Identify signal words as aids to build transitions.
61. State the main idea in a passage.
62. Identify supporting details.
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63. Provide relevant details supporting a main idea.
64. State in your own words ideas from a passage.
65. Respond to literal questions.
66. Respond to factual questions.
67. Respond to inferential questions.
68. Respond to application questions.
69. Give contextual meaning to words and phrases.
70. Predict outcomes of an event/ story.
71. Provide details to support predictions from an event/story.
72. Identify cause and effect in a given situation.
73. Identify cue words which facilitate identification of cause and effect.
74. Identify implied cause and effect.
75. State word meanings in poems, descriptions and narratives.
76. Identify feelings in poems, descriptions and narratives.
77. Identify connotations in poems, descriptions and narratives.
78. Identify keywords to show point of view of author(s).
79. State personal reaction to story or passage.
80. Judge the nature (good, bad etc.) of characters.
81. Identify propaganda and its techniques.
82. Explain the moral of the story or poem.
83. Make a statement on the writers choice of words.
84. Make judgments on the behaviour of a character.
The Ministry of Education will provide copies of Specimen Papers for SEA 2005 to schools.
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